Gas meter setter for curb box meters



Nov; 29, 1949 w. MUELLER 2,489,660

GAS METER SETTER FOR CURB BOX METERS Filed Spt. 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 29, 1949 L. w. MUELLER 2,489,660

I GAS METER SE'ItTER FOR CURB BOX METERS Filed Sept. 5, 1947 2 Shets-Sheet '2 "illllll flllllll l li -i flfllllif -fl Q ul I 0 1 W g j EH Lucien w-flueller Patented Nov. 29, 1949 GAS METER SETTER FOR CURB BOX' METERS Lucien W. Mueller, Decatur, 111., assignor to Mueller (30., Decatur, 111;, a corporation of Illinois Application September 5, 194.7,- Serial No. 772,300

., '3..Claim s. (01. 285-3) The present invention relates to an improved gas meter setter for curb box meters.

In certain localities gas meters areinstalled in boxes set below ground level and adjacent the curb or street so as to be accessible for inspection and repair. In such installations the meter is usually suspended at one side of the box and the inlet and outlet of the meter are offset from each other, as viwed from the top, but are in the same horizontal plane, thus placing a torsional strain on the pipe connections; Moreover, in such meter connections it is difficult to remove the meter for testing or repair, or to fit-it into a cut in thegas service line. r r v Accordingly, an important object of the present invention consists, in providing a gas meter setter for curb box meters provided with means for connecting the meter to the service pipes so that. the meter can readily be removed for testing. or-repairing, and may also be replaced without difliculty, and cut into a suply lineata minimum expenditure of time and effort.

. A further object consists in providing a gas meter setter with means which preferablylsuspends the meter substantially centrally of. the service pipes so as to obviate torsional strain on the pipe connections. Additionally, the gas meter setter is so constructed that when it is desired to remove a tin or ordinary cast iron'meter from a house and install a curb box meter, the service line may be cut at any desired point and the metersetter installed so as to be readily accessible for inspection or repair and can easily be replaced when necessary. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accom+ panying claims and drawings. 1 1 Referring to the drawings in which vareshown several preferred embodiments of the invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the meter setter constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 1a is an enlarged detail sectional view of the angle stop shown in Figure 1.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of of meter setter. I

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a further modification. w 1 Figure 4 is a perspective view of another form of the invention.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional plan view of Figure 1. a I

Figure 6 is anenlarged and a modified form plan view of Figure .:3,

2 Figure '7 is an enlarged plan view of Figure 4. Referring to the drawingsand more particularly Figures 1 and 5, the gas meter I9 is shown arranged to be associated with a meter setter which preferably comprises a transverse bar or yoke H to which is secured at each end thereof in any suitable manner such as by welding, soldering or the like, the elbows l2 and It. The. gas service line H! is out at the desired pointwhere the meter is to be installed so as to provide asupe ply pipe 15 leading'from the gasmainand a service .pipe Hi. The inner opposedendsof the pipes I5 and I6 are externally threaded as at t! (Fig. 5)

.to receive the intrenalthreads .18 of the flanged connectors or sleeves I9 with which are associated rotatable flanged coupling nuts 29 that are threaded as at 2] to the external threads .on the horizontal portions 22 of the elbows so as to estab?-- lish communicating connectionsof the pipeslt and I6 therewith.-v Extending upwardly from 'the vertical portions 23 of the elbows l2 and 13 and disposed on opposite sides of the meter. I9, are conduits or pipes 24 and 25, preferably formed of copper and externally. threaded at their.v lower end, as at 26, so as to be connected to the internal threads in the vertical portions of the-elbows. The conduit 24 communicates through. its .associated elbow with the supply pipe 15 and is bent laterally as at 21 and may terminate in an upper end portion 28 to which is connected an angle stop or valve 29 (Fig. 1a) having-a hollow tapered vertical body or portion 39 that is interiorly threaded at its lower end as at 30 to receive the complementary external threads of a coupling nut 42 to which the upper end of the conduit 24 is secured in. any suitable manner such as welding or the like. 'A tubular arm 31 extends laterally from one side of the body 3!! and has its outer end terminating in an an nular flange 32 (Fig. 5) .1 The side of the meter 10 adjacent the arm 3! is preferably provided with a threaded tapped opening 33 to which is connected one end of a threaded nipple 34 that has at its opposite or outer endan enlarged externallythreaded head 35 so as to be detachably connected to the-arm '31 by the 'c'oufpling nut 36; Preferably a gasket 3'! ispcsitioned:

between the flange 6'2 'and the adjacent side of are set up.

The angle stop 29 conduit 24 into the meter 10, and preferablyincludes arotatable plug 38 in the body 99 of the stop. The plug 38 is .provided .with a lower tubular tapered portion 39 .(Fig. in): that has an open.

is arranged to controlthe flow of the gas from. the supply pipe l5 and the ing 40 in one side thereof which is arranged upon rotation of the plug 38 to register with the horizontal tubular arm 3| of the stop so as to establish communication of the conduit 24 with the meter and to cut off the supply when the opening 40 is moved or turned away from the arm 3|. The upper end of the plug 38 projects outwardly from the stop and has thereon a head 4| of polygonal shape so as to receive a suitable tool for turning the plug to control the flow of gas into the meter. The head 4| may be detachably con nected to the plug 38 by any suitable means such as the pins or screws 4|. A flat annular spring .&

ation to the corresponding parts previously described.

In the modification shown in Figure 3 the parts are substantially the same as those disclosed in Figure 2, with the addition of a pressure regulator 51 which is connected through a tubular sleeve 58 with the inlet conduit 24 so as to communicate therewith, and may be held in a fixed position by any suitable means such as the set screw 59. Instead of providing an angle stop such as 29 (Fig. 1) the supply pipe l5 may be provided with a control valve or shut-off 60 which is installed in the service line ahead of the regulator 40 may be interposed between the top of the body 30 and the head 4| to facilitate removal of the head 4| from the stop oi valve 29 when thepins 4| are withdrawn. The side of the meter |0 opposite the tapped opening 33 is provided with a similarly tapped opening 43 (Fig. 5) to which is connected an externally threaded nipple 44 having an enlarged outer end or head portion 45. The upper portion of the outlet conduit is bent laterally as at 46 and terminates in an inwardly extending externally threaded end portion 41 provided with an external flange 48 that is connected to the head of the nipple 44 by the flanged coupling nut 49. A packing or gasket 50 serves to provide a tight seal when these parts are clamped together by the coupling nut 49. A small bleeder valve 5| may be connected to the outlet conduit 25 through which a sufficient amount of gas may be allowed to escape so as to ascertain if the meter is in operation.

It will be noted that the spaced conduits 24 and 25 constitute means for suspending or sup porting the meter |0 above the bar [I and that the meter extends transversely of the bar H and substantially centrally thereof. As clearly shown in Figure 5, the inlet nipple 34 and its associated parts are located on one side of the bar while the nipple 44 and its associated parts are positioned on the opposite side of this bar with the result that the meter can be readily removed for testing or repairing and can be replaced without dimculty and at a minimum expenditure of time and effort. Additionally, the bar co-acts with the conduits 24 and 25 to constitute a meter setter that can be expeditiously connected into a service line by cutting out a section of the service pipe M at the desired point. As the meter H) is suspended substantially centrally of the bar I] and the pipes 5 and I6, it will be maintained in proper balanced position and thus be free from torsional strains and vibrations to which the pipe connections are f ure 1, with the exception that the inlet conduit 24, instead of being provided with an angle stop, has an intermediate portion21 bent upwardly as at 54, and terminating in an inwardly disposed externally threaded end that is connected to the inlet nipple 34 of the'ineter ID by a flanged connection and a flanged coupling nut '56 in a manner similar to the coupling nutconnection 49 (Fig. 5). The outlet conduit 25 and its associated parts are similar in construction and oper- 51, so that the gas can be shut off at both the regulator and the meter when desired. The curb meter 6|, instead of being of cylindrical shape, may be elliptical or oval so as to accommodate the regulator 51. The bleeder valve 5| (Fig. 1) is omitted, and, if desired, the meter setter shown in Figures 1 and 5, may have substituted for the bleeder valve on the outlet conduit 25, a regulator similar to the regulator 51. The conduits 24 and 25, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, are of the same length and each is offset an equal distance on opposite sides of the bar II, and the meter connecting nipples 34 and 44 are disposed in the same horizontal plane.

In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 7, the gas meter H] is arranged to communicate with the service pipe I5 and the supply pipe |6 through a transverse bar or yoke 62, to the ends of which are soldered or otherwise connected the elbows 63 and 64. These elbows have their horizontal portions externally threaded as at 65 to receive the complementary internal threads on the flanged coupling nuts 66 which are formed similar to the nuts 26 (Fig. 5) so as to be rotatably connected to the flange connectors 51 that are internally threaded to be attached to the external flanges on the inner ends of the pipes l5 and. I6, respectively. The vertical tubular arm of the elbow 63 is threaded to the lower end of .an inlet conduit or pipe 68 which is bent laterally as at 69 and has its upper end bent inwardly, as at 10, so as to be connected to a threaded nipple H which extends outwardly from a tapped opening 12 in one side of the meter and is detachably connected to the conduit 66 through a coupling nut 13 in a manner similar to the coupling nut connection 36 (Fig. 5). An outlet conduit 74 is connected at its lower end to the vertical tubular arm of the elbow 64 and has an intermediate bent portion '|5 which terminates in an inwardly upper end portion 16 that is connected through a coupling nut 17 with an externally threaded nipple 18 that extends outwardly from a tapped threaded opening 19 in the wall of the meter opposite the opening 12. The upper op posed ends 10 and 16 of the inlet and outlet conduits are located on the same side of the bar 62, and are connected to the meter on opposite sides :of the transverse center line thereof. The meter setter and its associated parts are housed in a curb cylindrical box 86 that may be set in the ground at a point near the curb or sidewalk. It will be noted that the nipples ii and is are disposed on opposite sides of the transverse center line of. the meter l0 and that the inlet conduit 69 and the outlet conduit 14 constitutes suspension means for supporting the meter above the bar 62. The meter I!) also is laterally off-set relative to the bar 62 and the pipes l5 and 16,

as contrasted to the central suspension of the 68 and 14 to provide a gas meter setter for communicating the supply pipe l5 and service pipe It to the meter on opposite sides of the transverse center line of the meter, and in such a manner that the meter is readily accessible for inspection or repair and can readily be cut into a gas supply line. Manifestly, the inlet conduit may be modified by connecting either or both the angle stop 39 (Fig. 1) or the regulator 51 (Fig. 3) thereto, if such connections are thought desirable.

As shown in all forms of the invention, the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit formed on opposite sides of the meter are disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane but are axially ofiset and parallel to each other as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7. Additionally, the inlet and outlet conduits which connect the setter bar to the meter are each provided with double ofisets, one of which extends transversely toward the setter bar and the other of which is disposed substantially parallel to the setter bar, with the result that the meter setter provides simple, efficient and positive means for quickly installing or removing a meter from the service line. Additionally, the meter setter is so constructed that a tin or cast iron meter from a house or the like may be removed and a curb box meter installed outside of the house efiiciently and economically and at a minimum expenditure of time and efiort and be cut into the service line at any desired point. Thus, it will be seen that the meter setter provides a triple off-set arrangement in which the vertical pipes at their upper ends are formed with a double ofi-set, one of which off-sets is disposed transversely away from the bar I l and the other extends substantially parallel to this bar. Moreover, in certain forms of the invention, the double off-sets are positioned so that the inlet and outlet meter coupling ends of the pipes are at substantially an equal distance on opposite sides of the bar ll, while in other forms the coupling ends of the pipes are of different lengths and extend laterally from the bar in the same direction.

It will be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described are merely illustrative of preferred embodiments and that such changes in construction and operation are contemplated as come within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a gas meter having an inlet opening in one side and an outlet opening in its opposite side, said openings being in substantially the same horizontal plane and parallel but axially offset from each other, a setter bar positioned below said meter and having an inlet elbow at one end and an outlet elbow at its opposite end, means connecting a supply pipe to said inlet elbow, means connecting a service pipe to said outlet elbow, an inlet conduit extending upwardly from said inlet elbow and having a double ofiset including an intermediate angularly disposed portion extending transversely toward said bar and an inwardly extending upper end portion disposed substantially parallel to said bar and connected to said inlet opening, and an outlet conduit extending upwardly from said outlet elbow and having a double offset including an intermediate angularly disposed portion extending transversely toward said bar and an inwardly extending upper end portion substantially parallel to said bar and connected to said outlet opening.

2. In combination with a gas meter, a meter setter as called for in claim 1 in which the intermediate angularly disposed portions of the inlet and outlet conduits extend in opposite directions from the setter bar.

3. In combination with a gas meter, a meter setter as called for in claim 1 in which the intermediate angularly disposed portions of the inlet and outlet conduits extend from the same side of the setter bar.

LUCIEN W. MUELLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 943,330 Yearke Dec. 14, 1909 1,298,596 Stevens Mar. 25, 1919 1,988,003 Ford Jan. 15, 1935 

